Through the stress of the grueling admissions process and the frustration of dealing with a labyrinthine bureaucracy, the challenges of higher education can extend far beyond the classroom.

For one former UW student, the most confusing and stressful aspect of her college career has come not in the form of final exams or theses, but in a nightmarish ordeal brought about by her student loans.

In 1990, Kirsten Anderberg began her college career as an undergraduate at the UW. While completing her time at Whittier Law School in California nearly a decade later, she had accumulated more than $56,000 in debt on a number of different loans. That's when the U.S. Department of Education made an attractive offer.

"In 1998 [the] Direct Loans [program] contacted me by e-mail and said, 'We can give you a low interest rate if you consolidate all of your loans with us before next year,"'Anderberg said.

Loan consolidation is a process by which all of a student's outstanding loans can be paid off in full, usually by a third party. The balances are combined into a single, easier-to-handle loan. Monthly payments are often reduced because they are only made on the one loan, and paperwork is consolidated.

Frustrated by juggling her many different loans, Anderberg accepted the consolidation offer — a step many students take without realizing the risks involved.

"You have to be careful. ... [Y]ou might lose some benefits such as different deferrals you can get," said Kay Lewis, director of Student Financial Aid.

Consolidation can also lead to higher interest rates, as the terms of the old loans no longer apply.

Anderberg is now looking to continue her education through graduate work in journalism, but through a miscommunication involving important documents being sent to her old address, her registration is being held and her debts being called in. At the same time, the government is blocking her access to scholarship funds.

"The minute you go into default, your education screeches to a halt," she said.

Anderberg has hired an attorney to help resolve her situation. A message on her voicemail warns any callers from Direct Loans or the Department of Education to hang up and correspond in writing.

While her experience with student loans may not be typical, it is one example of the risks involved in borrowing money.

"It's [about] being kind of a savvy consumer, and making sure you know you're getting marketed to," Lewis said.

Students seeking help with the process are encouraged to talk to advisers in the office of Student Financial Aid.

"We're available now and even after [students] graduate, if they want help," Lewis said.

Reach reporter Trevor Klein at news@thedaily.washington.edu.